One problem after the other
01-01-2010, 10:16 AM
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One problem after the other
Hi guys,
I don't post much here as i still have a lot to learn about the RX8, but am a regular reader of this forum. About a few months back, I purchased a 2003 RX8 which had done about 18k miles. The car has an autoexe intake, racingbeat catback exhaust, cat has been replaced with a straight midpipe, autoexe strut and sway bar kit. Apart from that, the car is completely stock. It drove well for the first couple of months, but since then, i've been having one problem after the other. Here's my story.
The problems started about a few weeks back when my power steering failed. I drove back home and read up on the rx8club forum. From what i read, i figured it must be a harness issue. So i bought some contact cleaner, removed the intake box, and cleaned out the connector for EPS under the coolant overflow pipe. I figured that while i was there, i might as well clean out the other connectors on the harness as well. After putting everything back, i started up the car and power steering was working fine.
A day later, i was out with friends and the steering worked fine the entire time. We stopped for dinner for about an hour. When i got back to the car and fired it up, the power steering was not working again. I got back home and removed the entire EPS harness. I cleaned out all the connectors thoroughly and put the harness back. This again fixed the problem.
The next day, power steering was not working again. I cleaned out all the connectors but EPS still wouldn't work. After reading up on the forums, i opened up the PCM box and removed the PCM. Underneath that was the EPS module. I removed that as well, and sprayed contact cleaner on all the connectors. Just to be safe, i sprayed contact cleaner on the PCM connectors as well. After putting everything back together, i started up the car. EPS was working.
To celebrate, i drove over to a friends place. After about 15 mins of driving, the check engine light, the traction control light, and the steering light suddenly turned on, and the rpm went up to 3000. The gas pedal was disabled. I switched the car off, and turned it back on. The car would idle at 3000rpm, and gas pedal was not working. I turned the car off and turned it back on. This time, the rpm shot up all the way to the limiter, and stayed there till i turned the car off.
Concerned, i turned the key to the on position, and stomped on the brake pedal 20 times. the oil pressure needle moved up and back down, confirming the reset. I fired up the engine, and things were back to normal, EPS was working, gas pedal was working. The check engine light and steering light were still on though, but the traction control light had turned off. I drove over to my friends place, turned the car off, and removed the battery terminals. After about a minute, i plugged them back and started the car. All the lights were gone and everything was working fine.
I went out for another test run, and the same problem repeated itself after about 15 mins of spirited driving. CEL, traction control, and steering lights turned on, and RPM got stuck at 3000. I did the brake pedal reset again and drove back to my friends place.
What i noted then though was that every time i'd revv the engine and release the accelerator, the rpm would drop well below 1000rpm, cause the car to almost stall, and would then rise up to a stable idle. Also, if i depressed the accelerator completely at idle, the car would hesitate for a bit before revving the engine. I drove back home, keeping the rpm below 4000. The engine was behaving a bit better by the time i got back.
My guess now is that the reason the rpm would get stuck at 3000 is because some contact cleaner went into the pcm and is causing it to malfunction. and the reason the car is not idling properly is cause of the brake pedal reset.
I hope that the experts amongst you get the time to read through this elaborate ordeal and recommend what i should do now. I'm gonna go out for another test run in the morning to see if the car behaves normally. Would greatly appreciate some feedback on the problems i'm having, and the likely causes behind them.
Cheers!
I don't post much here as i still have a lot to learn about the RX8, but am a regular reader of this forum. About a few months back, I purchased a 2003 RX8 which had done about 18k miles. The car has an autoexe intake, racingbeat catback exhaust, cat has been replaced with a straight midpipe, autoexe strut and sway bar kit. Apart from that, the car is completely stock. It drove well for the first couple of months, but since then, i've been having one problem after the other. Here's my story.
The problems started about a few weeks back when my power steering failed. I drove back home and read up on the rx8club forum. From what i read, i figured it must be a harness issue. So i bought some contact cleaner, removed the intake box, and cleaned out the connector for EPS under the coolant overflow pipe. I figured that while i was there, i might as well clean out the other connectors on the harness as well. After putting everything back, i started up the car and power steering was working fine.
A day later, i was out with friends and the steering worked fine the entire time. We stopped for dinner for about an hour. When i got back to the car and fired it up, the power steering was not working again. I got back home and removed the entire EPS harness. I cleaned out all the connectors thoroughly and put the harness back. This again fixed the problem.
The next day, power steering was not working again. I cleaned out all the connectors but EPS still wouldn't work. After reading up on the forums, i opened up the PCM box and removed the PCM. Underneath that was the EPS module. I removed that as well, and sprayed contact cleaner on all the connectors. Just to be safe, i sprayed contact cleaner on the PCM connectors as well. After putting everything back together, i started up the car. EPS was working.
To celebrate, i drove over to a friends place. After about 15 mins of driving, the check engine light, the traction control light, and the steering light suddenly turned on, and the rpm went up to 3000. The gas pedal was disabled. I switched the car off, and turned it back on. The car would idle at 3000rpm, and gas pedal was not working. I turned the car off and turned it back on. This time, the rpm shot up all the way to the limiter, and stayed there till i turned the car off.
Concerned, i turned the key to the on position, and stomped on the brake pedal 20 times. the oil pressure needle moved up and back down, confirming the reset. I fired up the engine, and things were back to normal, EPS was working, gas pedal was working. The check engine light and steering light were still on though, but the traction control light had turned off. I drove over to my friends place, turned the car off, and removed the battery terminals. After about a minute, i plugged them back and started the car. All the lights were gone and everything was working fine.
I went out for another test run, and the same problem repeated itself after about 15 mins of spirited driving. CEL, traction control, and steering lights turned on, and RPM got stuck at 3000. I did the brake pedal reset again and drove back to my friends place.
What i noted then though was that every time i'd revv the engine and release the accelerator, the rpm would drop well below 1000rpm, cause the car to almost stall, and would then rise up to a stable idle. Also, if i depressed the accelerator completely at idle, the car would hesitate for a bit before revving the engine. I drove back home, keeping the rpm below 4000. The engine was behaving a bit better by the time i got back.
My guess now is that the reason the rpm would get stuck at 3000 is because some contact cleaner went into the pcm and is causing it to malfunction. and the reason the car is not idling properly is cause of the brake pedal reset.
I hope that the experts amongst you get the time to read through this elaborate ordeal and recommend what i should do now. I'm gonna go out for another test run in the morning to see if the car behaves normally. Would greatly appreciate some feedback on the problems i'm having, and the likely causes behind them.
Cheers!
01-01-2010, 10:25 AM
#2
The strange idling is because you keep resetting the fuel trims in the PCM.
It'll take a couple drive cycles for that to stabilize.
If you've read other threads on power steering issues, you probably read my story on what occurred with me.
I had to keep contact cleaner in my trunk because my PS failed that often.
I finally just splices the wires together eliminating the connectors all together.
Far as your theory on the contact cleaner doing damage to the PCM... doubtful.
That cleaner evaporates very quickly and its not like you spayed the cleaner right onto the PCM circuit board to create a short.
But the accelerator pedal not working is a little weird.
It'll take a couple drive cycles for that to stabilize.
If you've read other threads on power steering issues, you probably read my story on what occurred with me.
I had to keep contact cleaner in my trunk because my PS failed that often.
I finally just splices the wires together eliminating the connectors all together.
Far as your theory on the contact cleaner doing damage to the PCM... doubtful.
That cleaner evaporates very quickly and its not like you spayed the cleaner right onto the PCM circuit board to create a short.
But the accelerator pedal not working is a little weird.
01-01-2010, 10:43 AM
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@Jon316G
Thanks for your reply! I'll drive the car a bit tomorrow and hopefully that will fix the strange idling. Any recommendations on what my driving behavior (slow or spirited) should be to calibrate the car correctly during this learning period?
As for the steering issue, i considered splicing the wires together, but that does not seem to be the issue for me. I checked continuity of the wires, with one terminal of the voltmeter at the EPS module connector, and the other terminal at the torque sensor connector. I shook the connector beneath the coolant overflow pipe, and this did not affect continuity in any of the three thin wires. This would indicate that the issue is not with the connector below the coolant overflow tank. Either way, i'll be replacing the entire wiring harness from the EPS module to the torque sensor if the problem presents itself again.
My biggest concern right now is the gas pedal not responding issue with the car idling at 3000rpm and me having to reset the pcm every time (please correct me if i'm wrong in assuming that the brake pedal reset is for resetting the pcm).
Thanks for your reply! I'll drive the car a bit tomorrow and hopefully that will fix the strange idling. Any recommendations on what my driving behavior (slow or spirited) should be to calibrate the car correctly during this learning period?
As for the steering issue, i considered splicing the wires together, but that does not seem to be the issue for me. I checked continuity of the wires, with one terminal of the voltmeter at the EPS module connector, and the other terminal at the torque sensor connector. I shook the connector beneath the coolant overflow pipe, and this did not affect continuity in any of the three thin wires. This would indicate that the issue is not with the connector below the coolant overflow tank. Either way, i'll be replacing the entire wiring harness from the EPS module to the torque sensor if the problem presents itself again.
My biggest concern right now is the gas pedal not responding issue with the car idling at 3000rpm and me having to reset the pcm every time (please correct me if i'm wrong in assuming that the brake pedal reset is for resetting the pcm).
01-01-2010, 10:52 AM
#4
Just drive the car normally to stabilize the fuel trims.
It needs variable driving conditions.
When you checked continuity, did you check it between the connector at the EPS module and the torque sensor itself or did you just test it to the connector under the intake box?
Did you also check the power connector?
When I was cleaning my contacts, I was only cleaning the larger connector and that worked for me... I never touched the torque sensor connector.
Something else to consider.
It needs variable driving conditions.
When you checked continuity, did you check it between the connector at the EPS module and the torque sensor itself or did you just test it to the connector under the intake box?
Did you also check the power connector?
When I was cleaning my contacts, I was only cleaning the larger connector and that worked for me... I never touched the torque sensor connector.
Something else to consider.
01-01-2010, 11:10 AM
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@Jon316G
Thanks for your help sir!
When i checked continuity, i checked it between the connector at the EPS module and the connector at the torque sensor.
Will certainly look into replacing the entire wiring harness, including the sensor and power wires.
Thanks for your help sir!
When i checked continuity, i checked it between the connector at the EPS module and the connector at the torque sensor.
Will certainly look into replacing the entire wiring harness, including the sensor and power wires.
01-01-2010, 11:13 AM
#7
I know Jeff (MazdaManiac) replaced the wires for the torque sensor:
https://www.rx8club.com/showpost.php...4&postcount=45
Something else to consider.
https://www.rx8club.com/showpost.php...4&postcount=45
Something else to consider.
01-01-2010, 12:34 PM
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@Jon316G
Thanks a lot!
I had gone through MazdaManiac's post regarding replacing the wires. That is actually what gave me the idea to do it myself. i'm sure the EPS issue is fixable.
At the moment, what worries me most is the rpm issue, where the car gets stuck at 3000rpm and the gas pedal fails to respond. Any thoughts on that?
Thanks a lot!
I had gone through MazdaManiac's post regarding replacing the wires. That is actually what gave me the idea to do it myself. i'm sure the EPS issue is fixable.
At the moment, what worries me most is the rpm issue, where the car gets stuck at 3000rpm and the gas pedal fails to respond. Any thoughts on that?
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